1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to user interface or input devices such as are used in video and other interactive games to control characters or action in the game, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing an operator of a user interface or a manipulandum with tactile or haptic feedback to realistically simulate overcoming a resistive force such as may occur when pulling a trigger, manipulating a release mechanism, or other action performed by operating a user interface or game controller in which an opposing force has to be overcome.
2. Relevant Background
Recently, there has been a growing need for devices that can allow a human operator or user to interact with a user interface that allows the operator to interact with an electronic device such as a video game played on a computing device or to perform mechanical devices remotely. When interacting with a video game, an amusement ride, or other interactive games; it is desirable for the operator to be provided with a physical sensation such as a vibration or resistive force on the user interface. In other cases, an operator may be interacting with an electro-hydraulically controlled system such as front-end loaders, cranes, and robotic equipment; and it is useful to provide the operator with feedback as to the amount of force that is being applied by or on their equipment during operations. In other cases, a surgeon may perform procedures by remotely manipulating devices implanted in a patient's body via a user interface while watching a monitor, and medical applications may demand that the remote procedures be performed based on touch. In each of these and many other applications, it is desirable to provide the operator of the user interface with physical feedback, and each of these applications may be addressed through the use of tactile or haptic feedback mechanisms or force feedback devices.
One growing application for tactile feedback mechanisms is interacting in a natural, easy-to-use, and realistic manner with computer-generated environments such as are provided in interactive games or rides at amusement parks and in video games found in more and more homes. Interface devices or game controllers are used extensively with computer systems in the implementation of computer-controlled games, simulations, and other applications very popular with the mass market of home consumers. In a typical implementation, a computer system such as a personal computer, home video game console, portable computer, stand-up arcade machine, or the like displays a graphical environment to a user on a display device or monitor. The user or operator interacts with the displayed environment by inputting commands or data by manipulating one or more actuable or movable components on the user interface or game controller. Popular interfaces include joysticks, button and joystick-based game controllers, gun or launching device with a trigger or release, mice, trackballs, steering wheels, foot or hand pedals, pads for simulating dance, or the like, and these are each connected to the computer system rendering and controlling the displayed game or interactive environment. The computer runs a game program to update the displayed interactive environment in response to input signals from the interface device based on the user's manipulation of the component (e.g., a manipulandum) such as a joystick handle, a trigger or release, a wheel, or a mouse. The computer via the game program also provides visual feedback to the user using the display screen such as displaying a projectile or object being fired or released in response to a trigger or release being pulled on the user interface.
In a growing number of interactive game interface devices, tactile or haptic feedback is also provided to the user by the user interface operating to provide physical sensations. For example, a joystick may vibrate in response to a collision occurring in a video game or a handheld controller housing may vibrate when a football player is tackled. In some interactive games and other non-game applications, the manipulandum or component handled or touched by the operator is caused to push back or resist movement in response to actions occurring in the game or in response to forces being applied on an object being controlled through operation of the user interface. It is important in many of these applications that the feedback be provided in a realistic manner such as by providing a resistive force or a vibration that is proportional or similar to that which may be experienced by a game character or to perform a game activity (e.g., pulling a trigger, turning a door knob, releasing a mechanical latch or switch, or the like). Another design issue is how to provide such a realistic physical feedback in a reliable manner that can be repeated many times without failure of the feedback mechanism and, typically, at low cost.
Tactile feedback has historically been provided in one of two ways. First, an electrically controlled actuator has been used to generate computer-controlled forces or to provide feedback to an operator of a user interface. For example, in a number of interactive games provided in amusement park settings, a powered transducer or solenoid was provided to simulate the triggering or firing of a gun, a laser device, or the like and to provide a desired “feel” or physical feedback to the user via the trigger or release on the user interface or input device. While relatively effective at providing a desired tactile feedback, these mechanisms are complex and expensive to design and manufacture, which makes them of limited value for mass production as would be the case for a typical video or computer game controller. Similarly, in a typical video game environment, motors or other actuators in the interface device or game controller are coupled to the manipulandum and are connected to the controlling computer system. The computer system receives sensor signals from the interface device and sends appropriate force feedback control signals to the actuators in conjunction with game events or actions. The actuators apply forces on the manipulandum to convey physical sensations to the user in conjunction with other visual and auditory feedback as the user is contacting the manipulandum or input portion of the user interface. These devices require power to the actuators and also call for the mechanisms to be controlled by the computer or game program run by the game processor. Actuators, furthermore, tend to require maintenance and replacement due to wear of internal components. Other disadvantages of active actuators include high cost, large size, and unwanted weight. Second, some feedback devices utilize a passive, spring arrangement to provide a detent-type mechanism. This type of feedback device is useful for eliminating the need to provide power to the feedback mechanism, can provide relatively high magnitude forces, and is typically of lower cost and weight. However, these passive devices generally experience significant wear on internal components that leads to failure and frequent maintenance including part replacement.
Hence, there remains a need for improved mechanisms for providing tactile or haptic feedback to a user or operator of a controller or interface device such as a user interface to an interactive game (e.g., a video game or computer game) and to other electrically or electro-hydraulically controlled devices (e.g., a work machine such as a backhoe, a loader, or the like or a remote surgical device or robotic device with a user interface). Preferably, such mechanisms would be less complex than existing powered actuators or devices, would be reliable to require less maintenance, be less expensive, and, in some cases, provide a smaller form factor or be provided in a smaller package or housing.